Distributional alert system for disaster prevention utilizing ubiquitous sensor network

• US 7,825,791 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Pyo, Cheol-Sig, Doh, Yoon-Mee, Kim, Se-Han
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US11/595,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20070103298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 340500-506, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/531, 340/539.29, 340/286.02, 702/2, 702/3
• US Class Current: 340/500
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network

Abstract

Provided is a distributional alert system using a ubiquitous sensor network (USN). When a disaster occurs, the distributional alert system detects it in a sensor node, informs the area where the disaster occurs of danger through an actuator, such as siren, or informs a management system of the danger through a wired/wireless network. The distributional alert system includes: a first sensor node for generating sense data by sensing surroundings with a sensor therein, determining whether a disaster occurs by analyzing the sense data, and creating and transmitting emergency data based on the determination result, while forming a sensor network; and an alerting node for receiving emergency data from the first sensor node on the sensor network, and outputting disaster circumstantial information to a sensor field of the sensor network upon receipt of the emergency data.

Claims

1. A distributional alert system using a ubiquitous sensor network (USN), comprising:

a first sensor node for generating sense data by sensing surroundings with a sensor therein, determining whether a disaster occurs by analyzing the sense data when an accumulation amount and an occurrence frequency number of the sense data which is received for a predetermined period is found to exceed a predetermined threshold, and creating and transmitting emergency data based on the determination result, while forming a sensor network; and

an alerting node for receiving emergency data from the first sensor node on the sensor network, and outputting disaster circumstantial information to a sensor field of the sensor network upon receipt of the emergency data.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a second sensor node for transmitting the sense data when a sense value obtained by sensing the surroundings with the sensor exceeds the predetermined threshold.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the first sensor node receives the sense data and, when a sense value of the received sense data exceeds the predetermined threshold, creates and transmits the emergency data.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a gateway node for receiving the emergency data and transmitting the emergency data to an external communication network.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first sensor node includes:

a communication module for wirelessly communicating with adjacent network nodes;

a routing module for searching locations of the adjacent network nodes and setting up a communication route;

a sensor module for sensing a physical environment of the surroundings, converting sensed physical dimensions into digital signals, and outputting sense data;

a power management module for providing and controlling a power source;

a data processing module for determining whether a disaster occurs by processing the sense data and creating emergency data based on the determination result; and

a controlling module for generally controlling the above constituent elements.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the alerting node includes:

a communication module for wirelessly communicating with adjacent network nodes; and

a data processing module for outputting alert signals to actuate an alerting apparatus based on the received emergency data.

7. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the gateway node includes:

a first communication module for wirelessly communicating with network nodes on the sensor network;

a second communication module for communicating with a device out of the sensor network; and

an inter-networking module for connecting the first communication module and the second communication module.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor nodes transmit the sense data when a sense value obtained by sensing the surroundings exceeds a predetermined threshold.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the alerting node creates and transmits emergency data when a sense value of the received sense data exceeds a predetermined threshold.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

a gateway node for receiving the emergency data and transmitting the emergency data to an external communication network.

8. A distributional alert system using a ubiquitous sensor network (USN), comprising:

a plurality of sensor nodes for sensing surroundings with a sensor therein, creating and transmitting sense data, and forming a sensor network; and

a non-sensor alerting node for receiving the sense data from the sensor nodes, determining whether a disaster occurs by analyzing and processing the received sense data when an accumulation amount and an occurrence frequency number of the sense data which is received for a predetermined period is found to exceed a predetermined threshold, and when the disaster occurs, outputting disaster circumstantial information to a sensor field of the sensor network.

12. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein each of the sensor nodes includes:

a communication module for wirelessly communicating with adjacent network nodes;

a routing module for searching locations of the adjacent network nodes and setting up a communication route;

a sensor module for sensing a physical environment of the surroundings, converting sensed physical dimensions into digital signals, and outputting sense data;

a power management module for providing and controlling a power source; and

a controlling module for generally controlling the above constituent elements.

13. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the altering node includes:

a communication module for wirelessly communicating with the adjacent network nodes; and

a data processing module for determining whether a disaster occurs by processing the received sense data, creating emergency data based on the determination result, and actuating an alerting apparatus.

14. A distributional alert system using a ubiquitous sensor network (USN), comprising:

a first sensor node for generating and transmitting sense data by sensing surroundings with a sensor therein; and

a second sensor node for forming a sensor network together with the first sensor node, receiving the sense data, determining whether a disaster occurs by analyzing the sense data when an accumulation amount and an occurrence frequency number of the sense data which is received for a predetermined period is found to exceed a predetermined threshold, and creating and transmitting emergency data; and

an alerting node for receiving the emergency data, and outputting disaster circumstantial information to a sensor field of the sensor network upon receipt of the emergency data.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a gateway node for receiving the emergency data and transmitting the emergency data to an external communication network out of the sensor network.